Cause: Ringworm in cattle is a fungal infection of the skin caused most
commonly by the organism Trichophyton verrucosum.

Clinical Signs: Ringworm causes hair loss and crusts to form on the skin.
There is usually more than one lesion present and the lesions can form almost
anywhere. However, the head and around the eyes or neck seem to be the most
common areas that are involved.

Disease Transmission: This skin problem is spread from animal to animal
by direct contact. It can also be spread from animal to animal when contact is
made with a contaminated object (equipment, trough, feeder, etc.). Young animals
and cows that are sick, exposed to damp environments, or have poor nutrition are
at an increased risk of developing the disease. Animals that are kept indoors or
away from adequate sunlight are also at risk.

Diagnosis: The best way to diagnose this problem is by performing a
fungal culture. This is accomplished by taking hair samples from the outside
edge of a few of the lesions. The hair is then placed on fungal specific media
and any dermatophytes are allowed to grow.

Treatment (choose one of the following):

Chlorhexidine (diluted 1:4 in water) applied three times a day until
resolved.

Clorox (diluted 1:10 in water) applied twice a week until resolved.

Captan, a plant fungicide, (mixed 1 ounce of the 50% powder to a gallon of
water) applied daily for three days and then weekly until resolved.

Warts are caused by a
group of viruses, called bovine papilloma virus (BPV1-6).

Clinical Signs: Warts can be found on the head, neck, teats, ears, and
penis. The lesions are white to grey, firm and raised. These lesions are
harmless in almost all situations, except where mastitis or pain is involved.
These warts are most common in animals under 2 years old.

Disease Transmission: Warts are spread by direct contact from animal to
animal. They can also be spread when contaminated equipment such as dehorning,
ear tagging, or tattooing instruments are not cleaned properly between animals.

Treatment: Small warts can be crushed, pinched off, frozen (cryosurgery),
or surgically removed. In severe cases or when a herd-wide wart problem exists,
a specialized vaccine can be designed that helps prevent further spread of the
wart. This vaccine is made from wart samples collected right from the herd or
animal. This is called an "autogenous" vaccine and is specific for the
virus that is causing the wart problem in the herd or individual animal.

Prevention: When an animal has a wart infection, it should be isolated
from other animals. Any infected animal should also be kept from rubbing on
feeders and posts that may be used by other animals. Cleaning of dehorning,
tagging, and tattooing equipment with a product like chlorhexidine is essential
for preventing the spread of warts. There are vaccines available that can be
helpful in some herds as long as the strain of the virus in the herd matches the
one in the vaccine. See page C965 for vaccine information.

Cause/Clinical Signs: Dermatophilosis is caused by the actinomycete
Dermatophilus congolensis. This problem causes areas of hair loss,
matting, crusting, and scab formation over the back areas. Small tufts of hair
can easily be removed, exposing a raw, sometimes infected lesion.

Disease Transmission: Like warts, this problem is spread by direct
contact from animal to animal. It can also be spread when contaminated
equipment is not cleaned properly between animals. Insects may also spread the
disease from animal to animal. Wet, humid, rainy environments and any situation
that causes the surface of the skin to be damaged, increase the chances of
developing the problem.

Diagnosis: A diagnosis can often be made based on the appearance of the
lesions. If this is not possible, a culture or microscopic examination is
required.

Treatment: For effective treatment, four things should be done:

Clip the hair from the problem areas

Disinfect the lesions with dilute betadine or betadine shampoo

Keep the skin dry and exposed to sunlight

In severe cases, administer penicillin

Prevention: Isolating any diseased animals and controlling biting insects
are two of the most common preventative measures.